Cosentino Makes All-Sportsmanship Tennis Team

Salem College sophomore Alyssa Cosentino was recognized this week when the USA South Athletic Conference has announced its 2019 All-Conference Tennis awards.

Cosentino, of Las Vegas, New Mexico, was named to the USA South recognized an All-Sportsmanship Team. The all-sportsmanship team consists of one member from each competing school.  

All awards are voted on by the softball coach at each institution. The divisional team voting is completed only by those coaches in the particular division. The first team all-conference and individual award voting are completed by all coaches.

Averett University's Heidi Sarkkinen earned Player of the Year, N.C. Wesleyan College's Fariza Abdulloeva was named Rookie of the Year while her coach, Albie Brice, collected Coach of the Year accolades. Also, the USA South recognized an All-Sportsmanship Team, consisting of one member from each competing school.

All awards are voted on by the women's tennis coach at each institution. The divisional team voting is completed only by those coaches in the particular division. The all-conference and individual award voting is completed by all coaches.

Sarkkinen, a senior from Oulu, Finland, is named Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive season after also earning Rookie of the Year three springs ago. She thus becomes just the second women's tennis athlete in USA South history (Elena Blanina, Methodist) to collect four USA South Player of the Year honors as well as a Rookie of the Year accolade. Playing at the number-one singles position throughout the season, she has earned a 15-1 overall record with a 7-1 mark against USA South opposition. Sarkkinen is currently the 16th ranked singles player in the ITA Division III Atlantic South Region rankings. In doubles play, at the top position, Sarkkinen has teamed with Eleanor Crane to earn a 19-3 overall record and a 7-1 mark during League play. For her efforts this season, Sarkkinen earned First Team All-Conference honors for the fourth consecutive season to go along with her third straight First Team East Division accolade. Finally, Sarkkinen was named USA South Player of the Week three times this spring.

Abdulloeva, a freshman from Samarkland, Uzbekistan, is just the third Battling Bishop to earn USA South Rookie of the Year. Playing at the number-one singles position throughout the season, Abdulloeva has earned a 12-3 overall record with a perfect 6-0 mark against USA South opposition. Abdulloeva is currently the ninth ranked singles player in the ITA Division III Atlantic South Region rankings. In doubles play, at the two top positions, Abdulloeva has teamed with five different partners to earn a 13-4 overall record and an undefeated 7-0 mark during League play. For her efforts this season, Abdulloeva earned First Team All-Conference honors as well as First Team East Division accolades. Finally, Abdulloeva was named USA South Rookie of the Week three times this spring.

In his third season at the helm of N.C. Wesleyan, Brice earns his first USA South Women's Tennis Coach of the Year honor. This spring, Brice has led N.C. Wesleyan to a 12-4 overall record and a perfect 7-0 League mark, good for the program's third USA South Regular Season championship. The Battling Bishops are currently ranked 11th in the latest ITA Division III Atlantic South Region rankings and head into the USA South Tournament as the East Division top-seeded team and the defending champions.

 

 

The 2019 USA South Women's Tennis All-Conference Team: